Discussing Some Topics

[Rick(amateur)]

-Pets 2-

Having an animal also means a lot of responsibilities and many people tend to forget that. Pets are more than just animals we having living at our homes. They're a family member who we should take good care of and deserve kindness and respect like any other human being. Before anyone gets a pet, they should recognize that they are potentially adding another family member.

For those suffering from mental illnesses, a pet can be a difficult dilemma. While it's true that pets can have incredibly positive impact on the recovering of illnesses, they also deserve a home where they can be loved and cared for. Those dealing with difficult issues often struggle to take good care of themselves so, if they decide to get a pet, they are basically making a commitment or it would be very unfair for their pet.

Of course, responsibilities that come with pets aren't all bad. For young kids, a pet in the family can teach them valuable lessons about life like having a set schedule for walks and feed the pets. With schools teaching very limited life lessons, pets can do a tremendous amount in helping children grow and mature into strong, responsible adults.

As mentioned in the last entry, the loyalty of certain pets is incredible. We can experience the worse stumble in life and find ourselves homeless but our pet will remain by our side through the highs and lows. Even if we have no one else to count on, we know our pet won't abandon us because, to them, we are the only family they need and families should always stick together.

[martin05]

You're right about the responsibility bit. My cat has woken me up twice already and it's not even morning yet.

[debbie23]

I was on medication but it made me feel weird so now I use Mantra Magnets. They're magnets you clip onto your ear lobes that vibrate as a neuro-therapy tool and reset your amygdala. I love them! They really help.

[Rick(amateur)]

You're right about the responsibility bit. My cat has woken me up twice already and it's not even morning yet.

Haha, pets are a complicate love hate relationship. Your cat might be troublesome now but there are days you probably never want to leave it.

I was on medication but it made me feel weird so now I use Mantra Magnets. They're magnets you clip onto your ear lobes that vibrate as a neuro-therapy tool and reset your amygdala. I love them! They really help.

I'm glad they help you! I'm not sure if I need anything at the moment.

-Money-

Today, we live in a world that has great emphasis on money. Those without money find themselves struggling in life as they cannot afford even the most basic things like food, clean water and shelter. Even in a supposedly wealthy west, we see problems in the two extremes of the spectrum. There are those who have little or nothing and then there are those with too much.

Those who are buried in debt find themselves unable to escape the downward spiral. They struggle to pay their monthly amount which only sees them accumulate more debt. With the growing debt, they are also stuck at their jobs because they need money to keep the debt collectors at bay. As a result, they never have a chance to escape the situation and become slave to their debt forever.

There's nothing more damaging to one's mental health than a sense of hopelessness. The feeling of no escape can put tremendous stress on one's body and mind. It certainly doesn't help if the person hates his or her job. To put the nail in the coffin, any attempts to seek help for these mental issues are often met with the stigma that shames those who dare to make their problems public.

The answer to this problem can be difficult since everyone's situation is different. Those with families have a tougher time breaking out of the cycle since unemployment affects more than them. Even for those who are single, it's easy to be caught up in a negative mindset where they see no positives about life whatsoever. Even if it's light out, they only see the darkness that never seem to leave their side.

[Rick(amateur)]

-Money 2-

Yet, people wonder why having too much money is a bad thing. It's true that money can make our life easier. For instance, we might not like to cook for a specific day so we can eat out. If something broke, we don't have to worry too much about repairs or replacing the item altogether. Life is easier when we don't have to worry as much about our budget when it comes to making decisions.

The issue lies in some people wanting too much money. They want to afford yachts, mansions and others items that symbolize success in our society. If we ask these people why they want these items, they don't have a good reason other than rich people have them. There are two major problems regarding what these people want that can be easily overlooked.

First, we have to wonder how we can make that much money. For people who don't have millionaire or billionaire parents, their journey to become the 1% isn't as simple as one might think. There are sacrifices along the way. There are those who have to work at least 10 times harder and smarter than everybody else and then there are those who break the laws or do unethical things to get to that state.

Secondly, these people have never thought about what happens after they get a yacht or whatever they wanted. Do they get a bigger yacht so they can show off to their friends? When will they be satisfied with what they got? Or are they always pursuing something that's bigger and better? Are these people really in a better situations than those who are slaves to their debts?

[Rick(amateur)]

-Money 3-

In our society, it's so easy to get caught up with how much money we have. In conversations, a person's success is often dictated by their salary. The larger the number, the more "successful" this person appeared. I'm sure I'm not alone when I was compared by my parents with other people my age. Maybe other people have graduated and started working at a good paying job. Maybe they are close to graduating and already secured a position at well known companies.

The comparison doesn't end here either. As we settle down and have a family, we begin comparing ourselves with other people around us. What sort of thoughts go through our head when we saw our neighbor driving a more expensive vehicle? How do we feel when we see our neighbors affording fancy things while we can barely pay for our monthly expenses?

We humans have a natural tendency to compare ourselves with others. We have this competitive nature where we want to be superior because, in the past when the environment for humans are far more harsh and less forgiving, it's those at the top who survive. Despite the advances we made in society, we still have a part of our brain that tries to convince us that we must stand at the very top and that top is now associated with a lot of money.

Competitiveness isn't always a bad thing. It can be a catalyst to change because we are tired of being who we were. Yet, a change in the wrong direction would have terrible outcomes so we must make sure we know where we should be headed. Do we really need a more expensive car? Do we really need all those fancy gadgets to show off to our neighbors? Is one's significance only weighed by how much money that person is worth?

[Rick(amateur)]

-Money 4-

The difficulty with life is finding a balance regarding money. Having too little and we struggle to afford the most basic things we need in life. This can come especially hard when we have people who depend on us. We feel shame and guilt when we cannot provide for those people when, in our society, we are expected to give them what was seen as the most basic of needs for a human being.

When we have too much money, we find ourselves in a situation where most of us cannot go back in our lifestyle. After living in a house, we'd never be satisfied renting someone's basement. After driving a brand name car, we cannot tolerate a second hand car that might have problems we must deal with every single commute. Most of us cannot handle a situation that seems inferior to what we got a taste of.

Both situations see us trapped in a cycle we don't want to be part of. That's why we must do what we can to find a balance. Otherwise, we'd be trapped and feel miserable. How do we find that balance? It's different for all of us since we start at a different place in life. Despite starting at different places, we all yearn for the same things in life because we're humans and some things are absolutely necessary for us.

The most obvious first step is definitely related to a person's job. We work to earn the money for expenses and that's generally how we make a living. Our choice of this job can have enormous impact on our future but we tend to very lax as to what we pick. Then, we pay the price later down the road because, while our financial situation is acceptable, we found ourselves lacking something which money couldn't buy for us.

[Rick(amateur)]

-Technology-

Technology has changed our lives in dramatic ways and the rate at which it's changing is also unprecedented. As a result, we find ourselves unable to adapt smoothly to what our world is becoming as it's clear that many things in society simply cannot keep pace with the breakthroughs we make in numerous fields that take advantage of computers and the internet.

Our inability to transition smoothly is generally seen with the generations that grew up with most of the new technology. The introduction of smart phones and various social media are only made possible by the progress we made in the last few decades. Yet, our youths of today aren't prepared to transition into adulthood when their childhood is vastly different from that of their parents.

When I was attending high school, phones were still relatively primitive compared to what we have today. We still needed to talk to other people to communicate plans or ideas. Computers and emails were widely used but laptops were still harder to carry around than the smart phones we easily fit in our pockets today. It was a very different world back then.

Nowadays, you only need to be on a bus to see how much the world changed. Most people on the bus are either on their phones or listening to music through their phones. Smart phones have played such a vital role in our society that some youths today couldn't even imagine a world without such a device. With technological advances continuing without any signs of stopping, we should expect more changes in the coming years.

[Rick(amateur)]

-Technology 2-

Technology has changed how we communicate with one another. Instead of needing to talk face to face or through a phone, we can simply text our friends. Texting is so easy to use and it seems more efficient if we have small matters to discuss. Once we get use to texting, we will struggle to live a life without it. That's probably why youths today complain that they cannot live without their phones.

While texting is easier to use a lot of the times, it also gives people a way out from talking to others. Why would we choose to talk face to face regarding some serious topic like a breakup if a simple text is all we need? The issue with this is that a text, however honest it might be, doesn't have the same impact as a person saying something in person. Are we running away from confrontations we don't see favorable then?

Technology has played a critical role in how we communicate. Our youths are so integrated to using social media and phones that their communication skills with other people is hindered when they must do so face to face. Chances are the first few interviews they have will be in person with supervisors and managers but nothing is preparing them for those sort of interactions.

When interacting with a person when we are present, we not only have to pay attention to what we and the other person say but there are also body language and a different environment from what we are used to. Social media allows us to avoid seeing the other person while we can be in a place we are comfortable with like our own room. Given how different society functions from the world portrayed by social media, it's no wonder many of our youths find themselves lacking the skills to properly socialize with others.

[Ponder]

Txting is a way people avoid dealing with core issues and often misinterpreted + facilitates a perfect environment for toxic relations. Especially for those struggling with mental instability. My daughter and I can hardly communicate with eachother due to reliance on texting with all matters of concern. Excellent for avoidance but of the negitive kind.